SEN. Christopher "Bong" Go expressed his hopes that more Filipinos in Zamboanga Sibugay will be able to access basic health services as local officials held a Super Health Center (SHC) groundbreaking in Payao town on Friday, January 19, which was attended by Mayor Joshua Carlo Mendoza.
In his video message, Go, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said that the groundbreaking showed the government's efforts to bring its health services closer to Filipinos, especially to those in far-flung communities.
Go said the primary goal of setting up these SHCs is to decongest hospitals, facilitate early disease detection, and provide essential health care services such as primary care and medical consultations.
The SHC is an enhanced version of a rural health unit, offering basic health services such as database management, outpatient care, birthing facilities, isolation areas, diagnostic services (including laboratory tests, X-ray, and ultrasounds), pharmacy services, and ambulatory surgical units.
Additionally, these centers provide services such as eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) care, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and telemedicine, which enables remote diagnosis and treatment of patients.
The Department of Health (DoH) is the leading implementing agency that identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed.
Go's commitment to enhancing health care in the country goes beyond just setting up Super Health Centers. He also actively monitors the implementation of the Malasakit Centers program. Institutionalized under Republic Act (RA) 11463, which Go principally authored and sponsored, the Malasakit Centers program serves as a one-stop shop for Filipinos seeking medical-related support and aims to streamline access to medical assistance programs offered by concerned government agencies.
There are currently 159 Malasakit Centers nationwide, including the one at Dr. George T. Hofer Medical Center in Ipil. According to the DoH, the program has already assisted around 10 million poor Filipinos.
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